Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

704 Ars expofition vpon the Lordsprslier.. and confounded inhimfelfe,and his heart blccdes within him that he dothof fend fo merciful' a father. Manymenhue in this worldand that manyyeares,andyet neuer reek this bondagevnder Satan and finne.Such vndoubtcdlycannot tell what this praier meanes : but he that wouldhaue the tight vfe of this petition, mull bee ac- quaintedwith his owne efl;ate,and bee touched in hisconfcience,that the flefh& the diuell beare fuch foray inhim.As the poorecaptiue is alwaies cree- ping to the prifondoorc,alwaics labouring toget off hisbolts and fetters,and to efcapeout ofprifon : fomutt wealwaiescryto the Lord forhis fpirit to free vsout ofthisbondageand prifon offinne and corruption:and eueryday corne neerer theprifondoore,lookingwhen our bleffed Sauiour will vnbindc vs of all the fettersoffinneandSatan,and fullyere&hiskingdome in vs. 2. The wants whichconcerne others are twofold. The former is the want of thegoodmeanes which feruefor the furtheringofthekingdomeofaril}, aspreaching,facraments,anddifcipline. Whenwee Ihall feea people without knowledge,and withoutgood guidesand teachers,or when wee fec one hand IT in the congregationnot able to teach, here is matter for mourning : This petition puts vs inwinde to bewaile there wants. OurSauiour, when he fawe the 'ewesas lheepe without a fhecpheard,he had compafsion onthem : and he wept ouer Ierufalem, becaufe theyknew not the things which belong to theirpeace.Luk.9.i r, Therefore whenpreacherswan t tohoick vp t'' e'cepter ofGO D before the people, and toholdoutthe word, which is as ' were the arme ofGod topull men from thebondageofthediucll to thek ° := deme of quill Then it is timeto fay,Lordletthykkng.6ionte 3. The thirdwant whichwe aretobewailc is, that there he r . many impe- dimentsandhinderances ofthekingdomeofgrace,as the diue,l and a1 hi:- an- gels, their inllruments, the Pope, the Turke, and all the rea oftheprnfeffed wickedofthe world,which by fubtle intifements and tyrannic,t eepeba ke and repell the meaneswhereby Chria ruleth as a king in hisChurch. When the diueli fees one that as fometime ofhis kingdome butto call a looke to- wards the heauenlyIerufalem, he flraightway rageth againflhim and labours quite to oucrthrow him. Wherefore in regard of all thefé impediments, wee muff pray,Thy {<ingdor»e come. 4. Grauer tobe defrred. 1.1N thispetitionwe are taught firft that weeare to hauea feruent defire,and tohungcr,that Godwould giue vs his fpirit toreigne and rule inour harts, and to bow them to all obedience and fubieáionof his will : and further, whereasourhearts hauebeenasit were filthiefliesand flablesofthediuell,that hewould renuethem,andmakeofthem fittemples toentertain hisholy fpi- rit.Pfal.5 r . i o. Createinme a thaneheart, OGod, androutea righttj,irit in me, r.Stabbfhmewithtbyfreej/:rit. Ifweefhanconfidsttheconuerfationof the

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